Method of electric soldering



(No Hodel.) v a Sheets Sheet 1 E. THOMSON. METHOD OF ELECTRIC sonnnmne,GEMENTING, #0.

No. 423,966. Patented Mar. 25, 1890-.

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(No Model.)

V E THOMSON METHOD OF ELECTRIC SOLDERING, OEMENTING,I&0. No, 423,966.

' Patent ed Mar. 25,1890

TEST: INVENTUHX v L'zihamm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIIIU' THOMSON, or LYNN, "nnssnonusu'rrs.

METHOD-OF ELECTRIC soLoEmr'jije, CIEM-ENTING, are.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 42?,966, dated March25, 1890. Application filed August 16, 1889. Serial No- 32L044- (Nomodel.)

I citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lynn, in the county ofEssex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulMethod of Electric Soldering, Gementing, due, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to those processes of uniting metal or otherobjects which require the employment of heat to soften or fuse theuniting material, that by afterward cooling and becoming set lines orjoins the objects firmly together.

My invention consists, essentially, in heatin an electric cond uctor bya current of large volume and conveying the heat generated therein tothe work, which is for that purpose placed in juxtaposition to orcontiguous to the conductor.

My invention is distinguished from prior methods of soldering or unitingmetal objects by the employment of heating-currents of electricity, inthat, instead of inter-posing the objects one or both in the circuit ofthe heat-- lug-current of electricity, I cause the current to passthrough a heating electric conductor independent 01' the obj cots andpreferably out of all electric connection with them, but in sullicientlyclose proximity to the work to cause the object or objects to be heatedto the requisite degree for soldering or similar operations.

Figs. 3, 4-, and 5 illustrate varieties of work which my invention isapplicable to. Fig. 0 shows a particular l'orm of hcatlug-conductoruseful in connection with forming circular joints. Fig. 7 is a sideelevation of work and apparatus, illustrating the use of the device Fig.(1. Figs. 8, U, and 10 illustrate apparatus suitable for use inaccordance with myinvention, Fig, 'l0 showing the apparatus as apcan.Fig. 11 shows in plan, and Fig. 12 in edge view, anotherzform ofconductor suitable for forming circular joints and provided with meansfor electrically insulating it from the work. Fig, 13 and 1% show inplan and edge view another form of conductor provided with an insulatedsurface and protective face. Fig. 15 shows 'in perspective a top view ofthe switch employed in connection with the apparatus shown in Fig. 17 inside elevation. Fig. 16 shows in side elevation and partial section adetail of the construction. Fig. 17 is a side elevation of an apparatusadapted for rapid work in soldcriug objects in accordance with myinvention.

Referring to Fig. l, (l indicates a generator, of any suitablecharm-tor, adapted to produce or generate electric currents, alternatingor continuous, oi considerable volume, but of comparatively smallcleetro motive force, while 0 C are heavy electric conductors connectingsuch source with a conducting plate or red 0'', through which the heavycurrent is passed for the purpose of healing such com d uctor C". Theform given to the conductor 0 varies with the l'orin ol' thc'work whichis 'subjcctcd to healing by it. J J are jaws or clamps adapted to holdthe work between them and the comluctor 0. Upon the faces of thehcating-coinluctor U a thin layer f some insuhrling material isprclferably applied-sueh, for inslnucc, as mica. l prcfer mica becauseit is not easily destroyed by heat, The thickness ol' the layer, asillustrntcd in the drawings, is somewhat cxug; atcd. l! is a snilablcl'ranic I'or supporting the parts.

in the operation ol soldering or tinningtogether two pieces of metal N Nthey are first placed in position between one of the jaws, as J, and theheating conductor 0'', so as to be in juxtaposition to the latter andexposed to the heat from the same when such eon ductor is heated by theelectric current. The current is allowed to traverse theheatingconductor C until the pieces N N have by conduction received fromU? suliicient heat to melt the tin, solder, or other cementing materialplaced be ween them at the joint,

.lOO

after which the currentis out oft. and the work I allowed to 0001 underpressure. Suitable clampingscrcws S S S are applied to the jaw or holderJ for the purpose of pressing the work andthe heating-conductor intoclose and firm contiguity. Any other holding or clamping devices mightbe employed for the purpose. It will be seen that in this operation nopart of the current flowing through the conductor (1 passes through thework N N.

Figs. 33, 4, and 5 illustrate other kinds of j oints, which may besoldered by the employment of suitably-formed l1eating-conductors. InFig. ii. the pieces to be united by soldering 7 or tinning theirsurfaces together are at right angles to each other, one part being bentto overlap upon the other. The two pieces might be interlocked, asindicated in Figs. t and 5, their heating-surfaccs being coated withproper een'ienting or soldcri ng material or having such materialinterposed between them. The conductor-(2 might be made circular, asshown in Fig. 6, and would then be adapted to use in applying my processto the soldering together of the bodies and lids'of tin cans.

Fig. 7 illustrates the application of the con ductor O to the formationof a circular joint. N N are the two parts to be united, and J theholder or support therefor. The hcating-conductitir C is held in closejuxtaposition to the work by means of a suitable weight V.

Fig. 10 shows the apparatusorganized for solderinga cover to atin can.The conductor 0" of the form shown in Fig. 9 is provided with a weight Vfor holding it down to the work. The conductor 0 is supplied withcurrel'it from the secondary (7 of the converter or induction coil, theprimary of which (indicatcd at l) derives alternating or other currentsfrom wires or conductors u o. G is the usual mass of iron encircled bythe coils of the converter. A tin can N, carried by sup port ll, ispressed up toward the soldering or heating conductors C by mcansof aweight \V'. A handle Ilserves to depress the support when the can is tobe removed. In order to protect the mica insulation on the surface ofthe conductor from imjury, I face it with. a thin sheet or piece of'metal,such as sheetiron, (indicated at I, Figs. 12 and ll.) This facingof iron ,or metal is applied so that it will not form a path [or any ofthe current flowing in the coinluctor t). Thus in Fig. ll the sheet-ironis riveted to the conductor (1,iornu-d as a circle at the points t I),which are points of equal potentialwhen the current flows lromromluctor-C to conductor through the ring (1". \Vhcn thehcatingconductoris straight, as in lfigs. l3 and ll, the metal l'acing may be fastened,as indicated at t, to the middle pointot the cond no to r.

In liigs. I5, 1 3, and 17 l have shown an apparatus that is suitable foruse in uniting a large number-oi. objects of the same form or character,such as lids of tin cans to other bodies. This apparatus is soconstructed that one or more pieces are undergoing heating while theothers are cooling, and the necessary pressure to complete the union isbrought to automatically bear upon the work at the proper moment. 0 (1are the conductors of large gage,-which connect from the source ofheating-current and supply-current to terminal blocks A. A, insulatedfrom one another and forming the contacts of a rotary or other switch,the contact-blocks of which (in dicated at D l), &c.) are carried byadisk that is rotated by means of a belt This belt operates on a wheelfixed to the same'shatt with the support forthe blocks D D. Thecontact-plates D D are connected by rods E E, of conducting material,with the heating-conductor C, which is formed, as shown. in Figs. 16 and17, so as to have a number of projecting or heating faces between therods E E. J J indicate a number of clamping-jaws or holders,corresponding in position to the heating-faces of the conductor (1 andmounted as spring-actuated followers in the disk, to which belt 13 isapplied. To these followers are applied springs TV, that tend to "pressthem down upon a cam-surface it, over which they ride, and. which isprovided with a depression at a portion of its periphery, so as topermit the jaws J" to be lower d to receive the parts N to be solderedtogether. As the followers move around, they ride up on the cam .andbring the parts into firm contact with the portion of heating-,i+om1uctor immediately over the jaw. As the jaws or holders rotate withthe conductors C, the part of the latter immediately above the object isbrought into position where it will be included in circuit between thearms A A and Will' be heated, thus fusing the soldering or cementingmaterial. As soon as this takes place, the continuance of movementcarries the part of the heatirig-conductor in question out of circuitand the cam-surface llI maintains the pressure until the soldering orcementing material lIO is cooled, when the revolution havingbeencompleted the pieces are rclcascd'at the depressed portion of the cam.The path of the current is through the arm A down to thc heatingcomluctor (7 at the part thereof under the arm A, thence to the otherconductor A, and out by conductor 0.

The apparatus herein shown is not specific ally claimed, as it Forms thesubjectof another application filed by me as a division of the presentapplication October lti, 1881), Serial No. 327,238.

What I claim as my invention is l. The herein-describcd improvement inuniting metals or other objects by the appliation oi heat, consisting inpassing a heating electric current through a conductor in juxtapositionto the work, as and for the purpose described.

2. The hereindcseribed. improvement in cementing or soldering operationsin which heat is employed to heat the eementingor "bideringlmaterial;consisting in passing it heating electric current through aconductorcontiguous to the work, but electrically insuzlat'ed therefrom a'sanclfor the purpose (leascribelt '3. Theherein-described method of forming icircularjoints by the aid of solder or cement, cpnsisting'in applying acircular conductor a totheworkwith the cementing-crsolderingmaterialvbetween theobjects and passing an electric. current oflargevolume through such heatlthe-same'io the requisite temperature, I

ous heat1ng conduct0r, cutting off such current, and maintainingthepress'ure 'upon thepieces whilethey are cooling.

-5. The herein-described improvement in. uniting objects of metal orother material by the application of heat, consistingin heating them byan electric current passed througha conductor in 1 juxtaposition to. theobjects while they are pressed together and permitting the pie'ces'to0001 under pressure;

Signed at Lynn, in the county. of Essex and Stateof Massachusetts, this6th day of Au- 3p 7 ELIHU 'rnonson Witnesses:3

JOHN W. GIB ONEY, A. L ROHRER.

